When you add friends on Snapchat, you allow them to contact you in a few different ways. Friends can send you Snaps (photos/videos), Chat messages, react to your stories, and see your location on the Snap Map. Allowing friends on Snapchat gives them access to communicate with you directly via messaging and view the content you post to your story. It creates a two-way connection where you can interact with each other seamlessly through the app.
Adding Friends
To become friends with someone on Snapchat, you need to add them as a contact. This can be done by searching their username or Snapcode, entering their phone number, or adding nearby Snapchat users. Once you send a friend request and the other person accepts it, you’ll be connected on Snapchat.
Some key things happen when you add someone as a friend on Snapchat:
– They will be able to send you Snaps directly which disappear after being viewed.
– They will be able to send you Chat messages which you can save or delete whenever you want.
– They will be able to view and react to Stories you post.
– They may be able to view your location on the Snap Map if you have that enabled.
– You will be able to send them Snaps, Chat messages, view their Stories, and see their location as well.
So essentially, adding friends on Snapchat opens up direct communication both ways. It gives you access to contact each other using Snapchat’s messaging and sharing capabilities.
Contacting Friends
Once you’ve added friends on Snapchat, there are a few main ways you can contact and interact with each other:
Snaps
Snaps are photos or short videos taken within the app. When you send a Snap to a friend, they can view it once before it disappears. This makes Snaps feel more personal compared to other social media posts. You can send quick Snaps to friends showcasing your daily activities.
Chat
Snapchat’s chat feature allows you to send text, stickers, photos, and videos to friends. You can have an ongoing conversation with back and forth messaging. Unlike Snaps, Chat messages aren’t deleted unless you remove them manually. So you can have longer, saved conversations.
Reactions
When your friends post Stories, you can react to them using Snapchat’s emoji reactions. You simply tap and hold on a friend’s Story to bring up the reaction icons. Reacting is a quick way to respond to or interact with a friend’s Story without having to send a Chat.
Snap Map
If you and your friends have location sharing enabled, you can view each other’s locations on the Snap Map. This lets friends see where you currently are, which city you’re in, and allows them to contact you contextually based on that.
Communication Contexts
There are many different contexts where being friends on Snapchat allows seamless communication:
Daily conversations – You can chat about mundane daily happenings through quick Snaps and Chat messages. Being able to contact friends naturally throughout the day helps you feel connected.
Making plans – You can easily make plans and coordinate hangouts using Chat. You can send location pins for meetups, discuss details, and finalize plans efficiently.
Sharing experiences – When you attend concerts, sporting events, or travel somewhere, you can share photos and videos from the experience with friends on Snapchat. It feels more personal than posting publicly.
Inside jokes – The casual, ephemeral nature of Snapchat lends itself well to maintaining inside jokes between friends. You can send funny reaction Snaps back and forth.
Relationship development – Snapchat conversations allow you to get to know friends better and develop deeper relationships through regular communication.
Feeling connected – Being able to contact friends throughout the day on Snapchat helps you feel more connected and close, even from afar.
Benefits of Connecting on Snapchat
There are many unique benefits to connecting with friends on Snapchat:
– Privacy – Since Snaps disappear and Chat messages can be deleted, Snapchat offers more privacy than other social networks. You can share more authentically without worrying about public posts.
– Casual interaction – Snapping friends feels like a casual, natural way to communicate. The platform lends itself well to unfiltered, silly, or mundane interactions.
– Creative self-expression – Snapchat has many creative tools, lenses, filters, and stickers to make communicating more fun and personalized. You can showcase your personality.
– Strengthens relationships – Regular communication helps you develop deeper connections and strengthen bonds with friends.
– Shared experiences – Experiencing events together and sending Snaps back and forth makes you feel more engaged and present together.
– Inside jokes – The ephemerality of Snaps allows you to riff off inside jokes that disappear quickly. This builds rapport.
– Vulnerability – The temporary nature of Snaps can help some people feel more comfortable opening up.
Potential Downsides
However, there are some potential downsides of friends being able to contact you on Snapchat as well:
– Distraction – Notifications and Snaps from friends can sometimes become distracting or intrusive if they message excessively.
– Pressure to respond – You may feel obligated to open Snaps and respond right away, which takes up time.
– Unwanted contact – Some friends may abuse the privilege of contacting you by sending inappropriate messages or unwanted Snaps.
– Privacy concerns – Despite Snapchat’s ephemerality, there are still privacy risks involved in sharing photos, videos, locations, etc.
– Harassment – Unfortunately, being connected on Snapchat also opens the door for potential harassment or bullying through the messaging options.
– Screen fatigue – Overusing Snapchat to communicate could contribute to digital eye strain or fatigue from too much screen time.
How to Manage Friends on Snapchat
If you’re concerned about any of the potential downsides of friends contacting you, there are ways to manage it:
– Put friends you message less frequently on Custom Friend settings to control who can reach you directly or view your Stories
– Use Do Not Disturb to take a break from notifications when needed
– Avoid opening Snaps or chatting when driving, working, studying, etc. to stay focused
– Unfriend or block contacts who are abusive or negative influences
– Turn off location sharing if you don’t want certain friends seeing your whereabouts
– Remind friends not to contact you excessively during certain times when you need space
Conclusion
Adding friends on Snapchat enables seamless contact through Snaps, Chat, reactions, and location-sharing. This can strengthen relationships, foster deeper bonds, and fuel creative expression with trusted friends. However, it’s important to set boundaries and use Snapchat’s privacy controls to manage unwanted interactions. Overall, connecting on Snapchat can enhance relationships when used mindfully, but don’t feel obligated to respond instantly. Value both your friends and your own space.
| Benefits | Downsides |
|---|---|
| Strengthens relationships | Can be distracting |
| Creative self-expression | Pressure to respond quickly |
| Shared experiences | Privacy risks |
| Inside jokes | Screen fatigue |
| Casual, natural communication | Harassment potential |
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when you remove a friend on Snapchat?
Removing a friend on Snapchat deletes the conversation history you had together and prevents either of you from viewing each other’s stories or contacting each other on Snapchat.
Can you tell if someone removed you as a friend on Snapchat?
You won’t get a notification if someone removes you as a friend, but you will no longer see their name or Bitmoji when you go to send a chat. Their name will also be deleted from your friends list.
What happens when you block someone on Snapchat?
Blocking someone prevents them from viewing your stories or contacting you entirely on Snapchat. You also won’t be able to view their profile or send them messages. They won’t be notified that you blocked them.
Can you find out if someone blocked you on Snapchat?
If someone blocks you on Snapchat, you won’t get a notification. You’ll be able to tell if you’re blocked if you can no longer see their Snapchat profile or Bitmoji when trying to search for them.
Should I remove ex-friends from my Snapchat?
It’s generally a good idea to remove ex-friends or old contacts you no longer talk to in order to keep your Snapchat connections current. However, it depends on whether you still want them to have access to your public stories.